Machine for rounding leather.



R. A. PFEIFER.

MACHINE FOR BOUNDINGLEATEIER.

APPLICATION FILED APB.. 18,1908.

904,445. Patented Nov. 17, 1908.,

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4 w nl m l I R. A. PFEIPER. MACHINE FOR ROUNDING LEATHER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 18, 1908.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

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R. A. PFEIFER. MACHINE FOR ROUNDING LEATHER.

nrmomzon FILED AYE-18,1908.

Patented Nov. 17,1908.

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' The said frame moves REINHOLD A. PFEIFER, OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.

MACHINE FOR ROUNDIN G LEATHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

Application filed April 18, 1908. Serial No. 427,909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Rum HOLD A. Prnirnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Austin in the county of Travis and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Machine for Rounding Leather, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to machines for rounding leather and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of its parts as hereinafter shown and described.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character indicated especially adapted for the use of harness manufacturers and which is so constructed as to produce leather rounds of uniformity and at a saving of time and labor over hand processes heretofore followed for producing the same. Such rounds may be used in harness and saddlery and when produced by the present machine are smoother, more even and straighter than those produced by hand.

The machine is so constructed as to produce several rounds at one operation and the parts are so arranged that the finished round does not have the appearance of being seamed.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a bottom perspective view of a portion of the machine. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of a wheel used in the machine. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of a spoke of said wheel. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a pin used upon said wheel. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of an indicator washer used upon the wheel. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a hook used in the machine. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of another hook used in the machine. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of an end portion of one of the rounder members of the machine. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the end portion of another rounder member of the machine. Fig. 11 is a side elevation of a locking screw for the rounder members, and Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a strip clamp adapted to be used upon the machine.

The machine consists of the table 1 which is provided in its top with an opening 2. The frame 3 is slidably mounted upon the table 1 and is located over the opening 2 in the top thereof. The guide rods 4 are secured at their ends to the opposite ends of the table 1 and pass through the frame 3. longitudinally along the said guide rods as will hereinafter appear. The frame 3 is provided at its middle with a longitudinally disposed bar or rail 5 having upon its under side the depending lugs 6. The pit-man 7 is pivotally connected at one end with the lugs 6 and at its opposite end with the slotted spoke 8 of the wheel 9. Said wheel 9 is mounted upon the shaft 10 which is journaled in suitable bearings 11 mounted upon the legs of the table 1. The pulley wheel 12 is also mounted upon the shaft 10.

The shaft 13 is j ournaled for rotation near the opposite end of the table 1 and the pulley 1 1 is mounted upon the shaft 13. The belt 15 passes around the pulley wheels 12 and 14. The pulley wheel 1% is loosely mounted upon the shaft 13 and is provided at one end with a friction cone 16. The pulley wheel 17 is feathered upon the shaft 13 and is provided at one end with the friction socket 18 which is lined with leather 19 or suitable analogous material. The said pulley 17 may be shifted laterally along the shaft 13 so that its friction socket will receive and engage the friction cone 16 whereby the pulley 14 becomes fixed with relation to the shaft 13 and rotates with the same. The outer end 20 of the pulley 17 is convexed and the lever 21 is fulcrumed adjacent thereto and is provided with an inclined inner surface 22 which is adapted to operate against the convexed end of the pulley 17 for moving the same laterally. The said lever 21 is also provided with a recess 23 which is adapted to receive the shaft 13 when the working end of said lever is moved down. The power end of the lever 21 is bifurcated as at 24: and one end of the foot treadle 25 lies within the said bifurcation. The said treadle 25 is pivotally mounted upon one of the legs of the table 1. The power belt 26 passes around the pulley 17.

The cross bar 27 is adjustably mounted upon the frame 3 and is arranged to move with. the same. The said bar is recessed at its ends as at 28 to receive the sides of the frame 3. The bar 27 is provided at intermediate points with which extend down and have their lower extremities lying under the rail 5. The space between the lower ends of the lugs 29 is sufficient to permit the lugs 6 upon the rail 5 to pass therethrough so that the bar 27 may be readi y adjusted along the frame 8. The rod 30 is journaled at its ends in the frame 3 and passes transversely through the the depending lugs 29 bar 27 Said bar 30 is screw threaded as at 31 and the said thread engages an internal thread in the bar 27 The beveled pinion 32 is mounted upon one end of the rod 30 and the crank shaft 33 is journaled for rotation upon the frame 3 and is provided with a beveled pinion 34 which meshes with the pinion 32. Thus it will be seen that by turning the crank shaft 33 the rod 30 will be rotated through the pinions 34 and 32 and that T the thread 31 will move the bar 27 along the frame 3.

The rounder bar 35 is mounted upon the table 1 and may be adjusted longitudinally thereof. The ends of the said bar 35 terminate in lugs 36 which operate in the guides 37 mounted upon the top of the table 1. The bar 35 is recessed at its middle as at 38 for the reception of the rail 5. The guide rods 4 pass transversely through the bar 35 and the bar 27 The movement of the bar 35 with relation to the table 1 is governed by the length of the guides 37. The rods 39 pass transversely through one end of the frame 3 and the bars 27 and 35. The said rods are provided with screw threads 40 which engage internal threads in the bar 35. The opposite ends of the rods 39 are provided with beveled pinions 41 which mesh with the beveled pinions 42 mounted upon the vertically disposed shafts 43. The beveled pinions 44 are mounted upon the upper ends of the shafts 43 and the beveled pinions 45 carried by the horizontally disposed shaft 46 mesh with the pinions 44. The hand wheel 47 is mounted upon the shaft 46. Thus it will be seen that when the shaft 46 is rotated manually the rods 39 are turned by means of the interposed pinions and that the bar 35 is shifted longitudinally along the table top 1 in the guides 37.

The upper edge of the bar 35 is channeled as at 48 and is provided with the strips 49, the inner edges of which project beyond the vertical walls of the said channel. The rounder 50 is seated in the channel 48 and is adapted to move longitudinally therein. Said rounder is provided upon its under side with the gear teeth 51 which mesh with the pinion 52 mounted upon the rod 53. Said rod passes transversely through one end of the frame 3 and is provided at a point beyond the end of the table 1 with a crank handle 54. The disk 55 is mounted upon the rod 53 and is provided with perforations 56 which are adapted to register with a perforation provided at the end of the table 1 and the said registering perforations are adapted to receive a pin 57 whereby the rod 53 may be held in a fixed position. The lower portion of the rounder 50 is provided with the laterally disposed shoulders 58 which lie under the strips 49 and the said strips 49 retain the rounder against vertical movement.

The lower portion of the rounder at The rounder 50 is composed of upper and lower parts hinged together at 59 and each part being provided with several series of semi-cylindrical or semi-conical round forming recesses 60. The recesses of each series vary in diameter or transverse dimension. the end thereof opposite to which the two parts of the rounder are connected together is provided with a socket 61 and the upper portion of the said rounder is provided with tongue 62 which is adapted to enter the said socket. The screw 63 is exteriorly threaded as at 64 and is adapted to passtransversely through a perforation provided in the lower part of the rounder 50 and engage the tongue 62 while in the socket 61 and hold the two parts of the rounder together. The upper part of the rounder 50 is provided at its opposite end with a counterbalance weight 65.

The stub shaft-s 66 are journaled in one end of the frame 3 and in the bar 27. Those shafts in the frame 3 are in longitudinal alinement with those shafts in the bar 27. Each shaft 66 is provided with an upwardly disposed arm 67 bifurcated at its upper end as at 68. The bar 69 lies in the bifurcations of the arms 67 and the said arms are pivotally connected with the said-bars. One of the shafts 66 in each of the series thereof is provided with a gear segment 69 which meshes with a gear segment 70 feathered upon the shaft 71. The said shaft '71 is journaled in the table 1 and is provided with the handles 72. The brackets 73 depend from the opposite ends of the frame 3 and receive the gear segments 70 and move the same longitudinally along the shaft 71 as the frame 3 is reciprocated over the top of the table 1.

The inner ends of the stub shafts 66 are longitudinally slotted as at 74 and are transversely perforated to receive the pins 75. The springs 7 6 are mounted upon the said shafts and engage the pins 75 and hold the same in position in the shafts 66. The said shafts 66 carry devices for attachment with the end portions of the strips of leather to be rounded and said devices differ in construction in order to be adapted to effectually hold the strips of leather if they are provided with rings or devoid of rings.

hen the strips of leather are provided with rings or eyes the hooks 77 and 78 are employed. The said have at their shanks elongated slots 79 adapted to receive the pins 75 and the cross'pins 80 which hold the springs 76 in place. The hooks 77 are provided with the decidedly curved ends 81 while the hooks 78 are provided with the relatively straight ends 82. The hooks 78 are also provided with the spring tongues 83.

The object in providing the hooks 77 and 78 with the relatively disposed ends 81 and 82 is that in placing the leather strip Setin position one of the eyes is first caught over the curved end 81 of the hook 77 and then the said strip 84 may be stretched so that the eye at the opposite end thereof may be passed over the relatively straight end 82 of the hook 78. The spring tongue 83 may move in either direction to permit of the eye being passed over or removed from the end 82 of the hook 78 but at the same time it offers suflicient resistance to prevent the eye from becoming disengaged from the hook while the strip is being rounded.

hen the strips 84 are devoid of eyes or buckles at their opposite ends a clamping means, such as 85, is employed for securing the ends of the said strips. The said clamp ing means consists of the upper jaw 87 and the lower jaw 88, each provided with a shank 89 and 90 respectively. The said shanks are adapted to enter the slots 74 in the shafts 66 and the shank 90 is provided with a perforation 91 for the reception of the pin and a bayonet slot 92 for the reception of the pin 80. The member 88 is provided with the vertically disposed guide pins 93 which pass through registering perforations in the member 87. The clamping screw 94 is journaled in the member 88 and is screw threaded in the member 87. The said member 87 is provided with a slot 95 which is adapted to receive the end portion of the strip 84-. The inner surfaces of the members 87 and 88 are recessed as at 96 and the strips of leather 97 or analogous material are located in the said recesses and are adapted to engage the strips 84.

As above stated one end of the pitman 7 is connected with the slotted spoke 8 of the wheel 9. The pin 98 is provided with a cylindrical portion 99 upon which the said pit man7 is pivoted and which is held thereon by the pin head 100. The said pin is also provided with a flattened portion 101 which enters the slot in the spoke 8. Said portion 101 is provided with an interiorly screw threaded perforation 102 which receives the threaded rod 103 journaled for rotation in the spoke 8 and which traverses the length of the slot therein. The outer end of the rod 103 is provided with a hand wheel 104. The inner end of the pin 98 terminates in a threaded stud 105 upon which is mounted a washer106 and a nut 107. The graduated scale 108 is imprinted or otherwise mounted upon the spoke 8 along the length of the slot therein and the indicator 109 is provided with a pointer 110 which is adapted to travel over the scale 108. The indicator 109 is provided with an elongated slot 111 which receives the flattened portion 101 of the pin 98. The coil spring 112 is interposed between the clutch members of the pulleys 1 1 and 17 and is under tension with a tendency to hold the said members apart.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The strips of leather to be rounded are engaged with the hooks or the clamping members carried by the stub shafts 66 and are passed transversely through the larger openings 60 in the rounder 50. The said rounder 50 is then moved longitudinally so that the perforations through which the said strips are to pass are brought into alinement with the shafts 66 which support the ends thereof. The bar 27 is then moved along the frame 3 by turning the crank 33 until the said strips are drawn taut. The bar 35 is then moved along the table top 1 by turning the hand wheel i7 until the said bar is exactly midway between the ends of the strips. The pin 98 is then adjusted in the slot of the spoke S by turning the handle 10 1 so that the stroke of the pitman 7 will be suflicient to move the frame 3 so that the rounder 50 will operate along the entire length of those portions of the strips intended to be rounded. Thus the machine may be adjusted for rounding long and short strips. While the frame 3 is reciprocating the strips being rounded may be turned or partially rotated upon their longer axes by swinging the handle 72. Thus the finished rounds will not have the appearance of being seamed as the turning of the same in the openings 60 will wipe out any creases which would otherwise appear at the points where the openings in the lower part of the rounder meet the openings in the upper part of the rounder. The said openings 60 are conical at their ends for the purpose of more readily reducing the strips which are sub stantially rectangular in cross section into the rounds of circular transverse configuration.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine as described a rounder suitably supported, means for passing strips through the rounder and rotating means for turning the said strips axially.

2. In a machine as described a rounder suitably supported, a frame mounted for reciprocation with relation to the rounder and adapted to carry strips and rotating means for turning the said strips axially.

3. In a machine as described a rounder suitably supported, a frame mounted for reciprocation with relation to the rounder, a bar mounted upon the frame and being adj ustable in the direction of movement thereof and strip-securing devices mounted upon said bar and upon the frame.

4%. In a machine as described a rounder, a frame mounted for reciprocation transversely of the rounder, means for adjusting the position of the rounder in the line of movement of the frame, and strip-securing devices carried by the frame.

In a machine as described a rounder, a frame mounted for reciprocation with relation to the rounder, means for regulating the extent of movement of the frame, means i for adjusting the position of the rounder in line of movement of the frame and transversely of the line of movement of the frame and strip securing devices carried by the frame.

7. In a machine as described a rounder, a frame mounted for reciprocation with relation to the rounder, means for regulating the extent of movement of the frame, means for adjusting the position of the rounder in the line of movement of the frame and for adjusting the position of the rounder transversely of the line of movement of the frame and strip -sccuring devices carried by the frame.

S. In a machine as described a table having guides mounted thereon, a frame mounted for reciprocation along the guides, stripsecuring devices carried by the frame, a

scenes rounder mounted upon the table and adaptcd to be adjusted along the guides in the line of movement of the frame.

9. A machine as described comprising a table having guides, a frame mounted for reciprocation upon the table along the guides, strip-securing devices carried by the frame, a rounder mounted upon the table and adapted to be adjusted in the line of movement of the frame and means for adjusting the rounder transversely of the line of movement of the frame. I

10. In a machine as described a rounder suitably supported, a frame mounted for reciprocation with relation to the rounder and carrying revoluble shafts, clamp members carried by the shafts and being provided with guide pins and clamping screws, one member of each pair of clamping members being provided with a transversely disposed slot for the reception of the end portion of the strip being rounded.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

REINHOLD A. PFEIFEB.

IVitnesses V. F RITHIOT, AUG. LETTERMANN. 

